‘Bad Kitty: School Daze’ is a chapter-book for children aged 7-10, though it would be appropriate for younger children as well. It’s filled with illustrations that resemble a comic book, and it includes an actual comic book in the epilogue, attributed to one of the characters, Dr. Lagomorph. Although the book is written for children, it is whimsical and humorous in a way that adults can appreciate. The didactic elements are nicely woven into the narrative thread.
The story follows ‘Bad Kitty,’ who is accused of causing trouble at home and having a generally bad attitude. Bad Kitty is sent to Diabla Van Gloom’s School for Wayward Pets, which, in spite of its title, is a nurturing and educative environment. This sets the stage for the book’s central theme, the contrast between appearances and reality, which is represented in all of the characters. Behind Puppy’s vacuous demeanour is an artistic genius; Petunia appears to be a pugilistic, cat-hating bulldog, but is really a kind and loyal friend; Dr. Lagomorph fancies himself a mutant super-villain, but when he removes his helmet, he is revealed to be a gentle bunny. ‘Bad Kitty’ can be petulant but he never misses an opportunity to help his classmates.
The many eccentric characters provide an opportunity for the reader to do different voices, which children generally love.
Bad Kitty is contrasted against ‘Love Love Angel Kitty,’ the hero of a story-book that the teacher reads to the class. The intended message seems to be that human nature is complex, and no one is perfect – in fact, seemingly perfect people may be less interesting than the dynamic personalities of Ms. Van Gloom’s students.
The book includes several embedded stories and digressions, which may help captivate the attention of young readers. A ‘fun facts’ section explains that, although the animals in the book are anthropomorphized as people, real house-pets are governed largely by instinct, not reflective choice. Therefore they can’t be held responsible for their behaviour. (This is expressed in a child-friendly way, with accompanying illustrations).
The comic book in the epilogue inspired my 7-year-old step-daughter to draw her own comic-book cover, as seen below. This speaks to the book’s ability to inspire creativity.
Although ‘Bad Kitty: School Daze’ is not destined to become a classic, it’s a fun read.
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